Stating the Obvious
by DementedPoet
Summary: Sequel to Take Your Pick: Sakura's pregnant with twins and now that Itachi is back doing missions how is she going to deal without him.
1. Chapter 1

**(Alright people, here's the sequel to Take your Pick, I hope you enjoy it.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 1**

Sakura paced around the exam room waiting for her mentor. She was now three months pregnant, but because of the twins it looked more like five. This didn't bother her, though. No, she was very happy about the life growing within her. Itachi would have been there with her, but he had been sent on a mission now that he had done his village the service of repopulating his clan. He would be gone for a couple of weeks this time. Sakura didn't mind, he always came back to her.

The door slid open. "You shouldn't pace like that."

Sakura smiled at her mentor. "I know, I'm just nervous, and walking will make the birth easier, anyway."

"Yes, but your nervousness can make your babies' heartbeats erratic. Now, lie back on the table and raise your shirt."

Sakura complied and soon she felt Tsunade's chakra enveloping her distended belly in warmth. After a few moments she pulled away.

"Well, it looks like they're both very healthy." She smiled at her pupil. "I want you back every month for a check-up due to the complications that can arise when pregnant with twins."

"Don't worry, I will." With a smile Sakura left the room in search of lunch for three. As she neared Ichiraku's her stomach rumbled ravenously. She looked down at her traitorous belly. "Oh, come on! I've had nothing but Ramen for four days, can't you two crave something else?" Even as she complained her feet led her into the little ramen stand. Upon her entrance Naruto looked up from his bowl.

"Hey! Sakura-chan! How are you and the munchkins?"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the rambunctious blonde. "Hungry."

Naruto's eyes widened. "For ramen? Again?"

She sighed and sat down next to him. "Unfortunately. It seems that I'm craving one of the few things that I normally have to choke down."

Slumping on his stool he gave her a sideways glance. "That's cold, Sakura-chan."

Laughing, she ordered her usual while she and Naruto talked about nothing. As she got up to leave he paid for both meals.

"You know you didn't have to do that, right?"

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Aw, come on, can't I treat my niece and nephew to lunch?"

Sakura smiled and hugged him. "Of course you can."

"So , do you know what you're going to name them?"

Sakura laid a hand on her swollen belly. "Not yet, but we're going to come up with a few once Itachi gets back from his mission."

"I'm surprised he agreed to go back to active duty, but I guess he's gotta provide for you guys now. I just hope nothing happens to him before he gets to see his kids."

"Me too, Naruto, me too."

Noticing the somewhat saddened look in her eyes Naruto quickly changed the subject.

"Hey, do you want to go check up on Sasuke? I'm sure he's going crazy being stuck in the village for the last three and a half months."

Sakura laughed. "Probably, but I don't want to just drop by due to what happened last time."

Naruto pulled a face. "Ugh, no kidding. I swear I'll never eat at his place ever again after what I saw."

"Yeah, who woulda thought that Sasuke would be in such a hurry to do it on the kitchen table?"

"Definitely not me." He looked a little queasy. "Great, now I'm starting to get sick." He glared at Sakura. "Thanks, I had almost forgotten the view of Sasuke's naked ass."

Sakura had to grab onto him, she was laughing so hard that tears were running down her cheeks.

"AHEM!" Sasuke was standing behind them. "Why exactly are you two talking about my naked ass!?"Naruto started to stumble over his words. "Sasuke! I…uh…I…"

At this point Sakura couldn't breath she was laughing so hard and finally had to sit down on the ground because her legs would no longer hold her up. Sasuke looked like a scowl had been permanently drawn on his face.

He turned to Naruto. "Ya know, I don't appreciate you talking about my private matters in public."

Naruto just couldn't help himself. "Then you should probably put up some curtains on your kitchen windows."

Sakura looked up at the two of them from her place on the ground, finally able to stifle her giggles. "Aw, come on you two. You're not going to start a fight here in the street are you?"

They both turned to look at her.

"Of course, not Sakura-chan!" He nudged Sasuke in the ribs. "Right Sasuke?"

"Hn." He grunted his assent while helping her up off the ground.

"I'm glad. Now, Sasuke, how are you guys doing?"

Naruto looked at Sakura. "Besides going at it like bunnies?"

Sasuke let out a growl before stalking away from the two.

Naruto laughed himself silly at Sasuke's retreating back.

"Oh, come on, Naruto, you should be nicer to Sasuke." She turned and winked at the blonde. "This is the first time he's been out of his house in weeks."

"You're so right, Sakura." A truly malicious grin spread across his face. "Hey, Sasuke, how is Hana doing, the last time I saw her she was limping and threatened me when I asked her why."

Sasuke growled again as the two of them erupted into another fit of giggles sat his expense and started to walk faster trying to hide the very prominent blush on his cheeks.

**Oi, oi, oi, I know that this first chapter is really short, but it's just a preview of what the rest of the story is going to be like. I've posted a poll on my profile about which name's I should use for Sakura's twins. So vote now! Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Ja.**


	2. Chapter 2

**(I know that there was no Itachi in the first chapter, so this one makes up for it by starting out with some Itachi goodness. I hope this chapter was as good as the last one since everyone seems to like it so far. Well, on with the chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 2**

Itachi rushed through the treetops at top speed, he had finally found out where his target was and he needed to get back to Konaha as soon as possible after being gone for two weeks. He didn't like leaving Sakura all alone, but he would try to make his departures as short as he could. Masking his chakra, he jumped down from the branch to land silently on the ground. He didn't really care for assassinations but that didn't mean he wasn't good at it. His target was a rogue ninja trying to gain notoriety by slaying people randomly in the smaller villages in fire country. He was also trying to gain follower's and ever since Orochimaru and the Akatsuki were destroyed Konaha has strongly looked down on such things. The man's name was Orosaki Renji, and little did he know, he was about to die. As Itachi neared the small cabin that served as the man's hiding place a scream split the air.

'So, he has a victim.' A disgusted look crossed his face. 'I have to be quick, hopefully he hasn't finished with her and he'll be distracted.'

Another scream was heard as Itachi snuck up to one of the windows so he could get a layout of the cabin and assess the situation. A young girl, around fifteen, was huddled on the bed in the farthest corner. Orosaki was towering over her and trying to tear her clothing off. The cabin was one big room with two windows and a door, it was just his luck that the window he was spying through was cracked open and with the girls cries he should be able to get it open further without being noticed. Once he nudged the window open enough to launch a weapon he sent three poison senbon into the man's throat. The girl cowered away from Itachi's masked form as he approached to make sure that his target was, indeed, dead.

Turning to the girl, he tried to soothe her hysterics. "It's alright, I'm from Konaha, you will not be harmed any further."

The girl calmed down somewhat and started to gather her shredded clothes. Itachi noticed that she wouldn't be able to cover herself properly and gave her his cloak, then he was gone, carrying the body back to the village. He sighed, it would still be three days before he'd be back in Sakura's warm embrace. She had told him that she would have an answer for him when he came back from this mission about their marriage, but he already knew what it was. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in the way she touched him. He was overjoyed about the prospect of having twins, but he didn't know how the pregnancy would affect her since twins were so rare in his family and non-existent in hers. As he thought about her he unknowingly increased his speed shaving half a day off of his journey back to the woman he loves.

_Meanwhile:_

Sakura sat on a bench next to the training grounds watching Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai sparring. It was amazing being able to watch the fight from a distance without having to worry about getting attacked. The speed and fluidity of their movements was like a dance of death. She almost wished she could join them, but, of course, she couldn't. Her hand subconsciously stroked her belly as she watched the other important men in her life battle each other into unconsciousness. Sai went down first, but that was to be expected, considering who he was fighting against. He got up after a few seconds and dragged himself over to Sakura so she could tend to his wounds with her first-aid kit since she wasn't allowed to use her chakra. Sasuke was using his speed to his advantage while Naruto was trying to overwhelm him with clones so he could hit him from behind. He was getting better. Sasuke hadn't been expecting anything other than a frontal assault and was thrown to the ground in a heap from the blow. Sakura was instantly at his side.

She rolled him over onto his back. "Sasuke." She tapped his cheek until he blinked obsidian eyes at her. She held up three fingers for him to see. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

He blinked at her.

She patted his cheek again. "Come on, Sasuke, I know you're in there."

Naruto walked over and poked him in the side with his sandaled foot. "I think I hit him too hard."

Sakura turned to him with an annoyed look. "Well then, you get to take him to the hospital because I think you gave him a minor concussion."

Sasuke tried to get up at the mention of the hospital. "No, I'm ok." He wasn't very convincing, however, as he swayed on his feet.

She gave him a withering stare. "Nice try." She turned back to the blonde. "Naruto, make sure he goes and is seen before you let him out of your sight."

"Sure thing, Sakura-chan." Naruto put Sasuke's arm around his shoulder's and leapt away even as the other boy complained that he would do no such thing.

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics. It was always like this, one would injure the other and whomever was injured would refuse medical treatment until she convinced them otherwise or threatened to report them. She stood back up and started to walk back home. As she passed couples in the street her mind wandered to Itachi. He had only been gone for two weeks but she missed him dearly. She was exited and scared out of her mind about getting married. She had been secretly planning her wedding with Ino as a surprise for when he returned to her. Speaking of which, she spotted her other blonde friend walking towards her. Sakura raised a hand and called out to her.

"Hey, Ino."

Ino looked up and Sakura noticed that she was a bit preoccupied.

"Hey, Sakura, what's up?"

"I should be asking you that. Is something wrong?"

Ino sighed. "Guy trouble."

Sakura arched a delicate brow. "Really? Which guy?"

Ino looked around at the crowd of people wandering past them. "can we talk about this somewhere else?"

"Sure, I was just on my way home. How about joining me for dinner?"

"Sounds great."

Thirty minutes later both women sat in Sakura's living room eating sushi and talking about the men in there lives.

"So," Sakura spoke in between bites, "What guy were you talking about?"

Ino slumped in her seat. "Ever since Shikamaru turned me down for Temari I've been seeing Genma."

Sakura nearly choked. "What!?"

Ino glared at her. "What's wrong with him?"

"Besides being a womanizing pervert?"

"He's not that bad."

"Of course not." The sarcasm was thick in her voice.

Ino looked indignant. "He's not. In fact, he asked me to move in with him."

Sakura's mouth hung open. "How long have you two been dating?"

"Two months."

"Is he treating you good?"

Ino stared at her hands. "Yeah, but I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of commitment."

"I figured he'd be the one with commitment problems."

The blonde let out an exasperated sigh. "I know."

"I think the only way you're going to find your answer is by talking it over with him."

Ino sighed again. "I know."

"Well, if you know what you're supposed to do, then get going."

Ino stood and headed for the door. "Thanks for listening, Sakura. I hope he understands how I feel."

Sakura walked over and hugged her. "I'm sure if he cares about you he won't have a problem with you're decision."

"Okay, I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later."

Sakura closed the door and suddenly felt very alone. She decided to go to bed hoping Itachi would get back soon.

**(That's it for chapter 2. I've posted a poll on my profile about which name's I should use for Sakura's twins. So vote now! Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Ja.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**(I'm glad everyone enjoys my stories. And I promise that there with be lots of Itachi x Sakura goodness in this story. Ok, on with the chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 3**

Sakura stared in wonder at picture on the little screen. She had seen a sonogram before but it was so much more exiting knowing that these two tiny beings were living inside her. Itachi stood next to the bed, having come home that morning, and held her hand as he too gazed at the image. She was now four months along and could make out her babies' faces and limbs. Pulling her eyes away from the monitor she allowed them to rest on her lover.

Sakura's eyes softened as she noticed the look on Itachi's face. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Itachi looked down at his pregnant female. "Yes, they are."

Shizune finished up the exam and handed Sakura a towel to clean her belly off with.

"Everything looks perfect, Sakura. You and your babies are in top condition."

"Thank you, Shizune." Sakura smiled at the woman she considers a sister. "I'll see you again in thirty days."

"If you feel any different or start bleeding come in immediately."

"Don't worry, I will."

Sakura waved goodbye to the brunette before dragging Itachi out the door. Once outside she looked up at the love of her life.

"So, where do you want to go to eat? You must be pretty hungry since I don't think you ate when you got home."

"How about we go for some brunch at the little tea house you like so much."

She leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. "Sounds wonderful."

Itachi wrapped an arm around her. "I also wanted to speak with you about us getting married as well as the names for our children."

Sakura's smile widened. "Let's wait to talk about our wedding plans after we get home."

He quirked an eyebrow, she was up to something, he could feel it. "Is that a yes?"

She shot him a breathtaking smile. "Yes."

"Good. Now, what about the names?"

"I figured we could each name one of them. I have a perfect name for our little girl so you can pick the boy's name."

"That will be fine."

A slender pink brow raised. "You already have a name picked, don't you?"

"Hn."

Sakura stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. "I do hope that you're not planning to hide anything from me."

A small smile graced his lips. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Liar."

Itachi let out a low chuckle at her response. They walked in comfortable silence all the way to the tea house. Once they were seated and had ordered Sakura looked at Itachi expectantly.

"So?"

He didn't even blink. "Yes?"

Her eye twitched in annoyance. Kami, this man could be infuriating sometimes. "What names have you picked out for the boy?"

"I just have one picked out."

"And?"

"Toshiro, Shiro for short." Itachi stared intently at her trying to gauge her reaction.

Sakura lit up immediately. The name meant talented and intelligent, the perfect name for an Uchiha. "I love it."

Itachi was pleased that she liked the name, hopefully he would feel the same about the one she picked. "Now, what name have you chosen?"

"Natsuki."

"Summer hope?"

Sakura blushed lightly. "Well, yes, since they'll be born in the summer, I thought it was fitting."

Itachi leaned across the table and kissed her on the forehead. "It's perfect."

A waitress showed up with their food moments later and Sakura dug into hers like she hadn't eaten in days. Itachi ate sedately while watching her enjoy her meal. After a bit, she looked up at him.

Suddenly feeling insecure she decided to just ask. "What?"

Itachi leaned on his hand and let his eyes rove her body. "You are beautiful."

Turning the most amazing shade of pink, she looked at her plate. "No, I'm not. I'm getting fat and my ass is a new kind of huge."

Itachi cocked his head to the side. "Your body is changing to make sure that our children come out healthy and perfect. How is that anything but beautiful?"

Sakura shot him an incredulous look. "Obviously you haven't seen my ass lately."

A smirk made it's way onto his lips. "Actually I got a very nice view of it as we were leaving the hospital."

Sakura blushed into her hairline making him chuckle to himself.

"Yeah, well, you're biased."

His smile widened. "Probably."

The couple finished eating in relative silence after that and decided to go home for a quiet afternoon once they paid for their meal. Itachi watched the pink-haired woman with growing interest as his eyes picked up the delicate changes to her body. He noted how her breasts had filled out, her hips had softened, and her tummy had rounded a bit more since the last time he had seen her. He was very glad to see that pregnancy suited her. She was now all soft curves and graceful limbs and he couldn't wait to indulge himself in her again. Luck was apparently not on their side, however, as an orange blur nearly ran into the couple. Naruto suddenly found himself in an elbow lock from Itachi.

Sakura swatted his arm. "Naruto, watch where you're running, you baka."

Pulling out of Itachi's grasp he shot an apologetic look at the fuming woman. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, I've been looking all over for you guys."

"Really, why?"

"Actually, I have no idea. I was just told to get you two and bring you over to Sasuke's."

Itachi gave the blonde a level gaze. "You weren't told why?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. I guess we'll all find out when we get there."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's probably a surprise which would be why Naruto's out of the loop. He can't keep anything a secret."

This caused the blonde to pout. "That's harsh, Sakura-chan."

Itachi took her hand and started walking toward the Uchiha complex. "We might as well hurry, or else they might send someone more annoying after us."

Naruto hung his head. "Damn it, Itachi, not you too."

Sakura laughed at her friends behavior as they walked to their destination. She was sure that their friends were plotting against them but couldn't seem to think up how or why. When they got to Sasuke's house nothing looked out of place or out of the ordinary. Hell, it didn't even look as if anyone were home.

"Are you sure this is where we were supposed to meet?"

Naruto nodded his head. "Yup, that's what I was told."

Itachi stepped onto the porch. "Perhaps we should just go inside."

Sakura sighed. "Alright."

Naruto slung an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, Sakura-chan, I'm sure teme's just waiting inside for us."

The group made their way into the house, heading into the living room since it was the most likely place for anyone to be waiting for them. As they walked into the darkened room the lights suddenly flared and a collective shout of "Congratulations!" could be heard around the complex. Sakura almost had a heart attack. She had to lean on Naruto to make sure that her legs didn't go out on her. All of their friends were there and the room was done up in pink and blue streamers and balloons with a big baby shower sign on one wall. Everyone was congratulating them on the pregnancy and Sakura could feel herself start to break down. She was so happy, to the point of crying. She didn't know what to do because never in her life had she ever had a surprise party of any kind. After a few minutes she was finally able to quell her tears enough to thank everyone for their kindness. Itachi moved her around to sit on the couch while presents were handed out and shown off. Sakura couldn't believe that something this big had been hidden from her, especially by Sasuke, but she couldn't be happier.

**Ok, people, that's it for Chapter 3. I wanted to thank those that voted on the baby names, so, thanks. I think that this story is finally starting to take shape and am glad with where it's going. I will be using my own personal experiences to shape this story, so if anyone has anything they want to share to be added to the story I'll gladly put it in.**

**Ja.**


	4. Chapter 4

**(Sorry for not updating in a while. I lost my insurance and couldn't afford my meds and without them it is painful to sit at the computer for an extended period of time. I hope that my story is good enough to wait for. Oh, and I have figured out the theme song for Itachi and Sakura in this story. It's 'Leave Out All The Rest by Linkin Park'. If you haven't heard it look it up it's really good.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and graphic scenes.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 4**

Sakura watched happily as Itachi set up the furniture in the nursery, a soft smile playing across her lips. He was always so good with everything but putting together a crib seemed to defeat him. A small laugh made it's way out as she watched him struggle with 'the damned contraption', as he called it.

He turned to glare at her. "This isn't easy. Especially since the instructions said that you generally need two people to set this up."

"Then why not ask someone to help?"

His eyes narrowed. "I can handle it."

Sakura gave him an incredulous look. "You don't always have to be perfect, you know? Now why don't you have Sasuke come over here and help, he's going to need the practice anyways. If you want you can tell him that's the reason for having him over."

"Hn." His noncommittal reply irritated her but she knew he'd do as she asked.

Several hour later, Sasuke brushed his hair out of his eyes as he applied the last bit of border to the wall. He turned to his brother who was picking up the scraps and pushing the furniture into place.

"All done here."

"Good."

"You do realize that this means you'll be helping me when I have to do this, right?"

"That was never part of the arrangement. Besides I'll probably be too busy with the twins and missions to help. Just have Naruto do it, I'm sure he'd be thrilled."

Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh. "Why do you always have to be such an ass to me? Your not like that with Sakura."

"Yes, but I'm sleeping with her, not you, so deal with it."

"Itachi!"

Itachi whirled to see an angry Sakura standing behind him with a tray of cold drinks. The look on her face made him want to take a step back, but Uchiha Itachi does not run from anything, even irate pregnant females. He held his hands up and was about to apologize when she cut him off.

"Any more comments like that, Mister, and you won't be sleeping with anyone, ever." She let the implications sink in as Sasuke tried desperately to not laugh his head off. She turned to Sasuke. "And you, do you have any idea of the stress we're going through?" She didn't allow him to answer before continuing with her rant. "No, you don't, so get it through your thick scull, your brother will not always be there to help you out. He has this family to worry about now, so you should probably start getting your shit together and grow up!" With that she turned and left the two men to work things out on their own.

Sakura was sleeping soundly when Itachi finally made his way to bed. He was tired and sore from being in the same crouched position for too long. After stripping down to his boxers he sat on the edge of the bed and watched the love of his life as she dreamed peacefully. Her rosette locks were spread about the pillow making a soft halo of pink around her face. He allowed his eyes to rove over her body, from her angelic face and slender throat down until he let them rest on her swollen belly. His features softened as he laid a hand on her stomach with his fingers splayed. He slowly trickled some of his chakra into her womb until he could feel his babies heartbeats as a look of wonderment and a soft smile graced his normally blank face. Sakura woke to the warm feeling of Itachi's chakra invading her body, but she didn't mind. He had done this many times and only when he thought she was sleeping. She was glad that she was facing him so that she could crack her eyes open and watch all the emotions flow across the face of her apathetic mate. She wondered if having children might finally break him of his habit of hiding his feelings, she sure hoped so. Itachi finally pulled his hand away and curled around Sakura protectively, she instantly snuggled closer to him and let out a contented sigh.

Itachi kissed the top of her head. "You're awake."

She peered up at him. "How did you know?"

"I've always known, you don't make noise when I come to bed if you are actually asleep." He gave her an impish grin. "Unless it's to grumble at me for disturbing you."

"It's better than you. If I come to bed late I get mauled."

He kissed her again. "That is because I miss you when you are not by my side."

Sakura beamed at him. "Well, I guess that makes up for it."

She leaned in and kissed him on the lips slowly deepening it as she wound her fingers in his hair. He pulled back with a questioning look. "Sakura, are you sure that this is a good idea?" He was worried that sex might hurt their babies.

"Actually, as long as it's not rough, sex can be beneficial to a pregnancy, and before you ask, I already talked about this with Tsunade. She gave me the ok before telling me that you couldn't possibly do any more damage since you had already knocked her adopted daughter up."

Itachi quirked a brow. Yes, that definitely sounded like something the Hokage would say. He was broken out of his thoughts by Sakura kissing the side of his neck. She buried her nose in his hair and inhaled his unique scent. He smelled slightly of sweat but underneath that he smelled of vanilla and cinnamon, almost like freshly backed sugar cookies, but maybe it was just her. His hair was like silk as it ran through her fingers. Itachi had relented, possibly because he was mildly frustrated from being away from her for too long. Her body was like air to him, something he couldn't live without and he was going to relish every moment he had to thoroughly explore her body, especially since it had changed so much since the last time. He pulled her shirt up and kissed his way up her belly to her breasts that were already starting to swell. She wrapped her fingers tighter into his hair pulling him closer to her and moaned as his lips teased her overly sensitized flesh. He let out a low growl and nipped lightly at the hardened bud pleased at how quickly she was responding to him. His other hand teased the soft skin at the hollow of her hip. She whined under him as he traced circles on her inner thigh just below the edge of her panties, so close to where she wanted him but not going any further. She arched into him hoping that he might quell the ache between her thighs. Itachi pulled away so he could remove his last article of clothing, finally freeing the erection that was straining against the cloth. Sakura roamed her eyes over his perfectly sculpted body appreciating that this wonderful specimen was hers alone. She pulled the rest of her clothing off as he crawled to her. He started to settle between her legs when she stopped him.

"Is something wrong?"

She shifted and started to pile up pillows as he gave her a questioning look. When she was finished she turned back to him. "Nothing's wrong, but we can't have you putting weight on my stomach."

For the first time in his life Itachi felt truly stupid. "Ok, what do you suggest?"

She answered him by turning around and positioning herself onto the mound of pillows effectively cushioning her belly. Itachi watched as she propped herself up with her ass in the air like an offering to him. His erection was starting to get painful by the time she looked back over her shoulder telling him she was ready. He aligned himself with her entrance and smoothed his hands over her hips as he pushed into her starting a steady pace. Sakura let out a loud moan each time he pushed into her bumping into her cervix with each thrust. To most women this would be painful but they had found out that mixing pain with pleasure only help to bring her to climax. Her breathing became shallow as she felt that wonderful tightness growing in the pit of her stomach, like a spring coiled too tight. Itachi could tell that she was close as her legs began to tremble. He knew that he wouldn't last once her orgasm hit, it had been far too long. He tightened his fingers on her hips as she screamed incoherently into her pillow, her body spasming uncontrollably beneath him. He tried not to lose control seeing as he could hurt both her and his children if he allowed himself to pound into her hard and fast until he reached his climax. He increased his peed slightly as she rode out her orgasm. Just as she thought that it was going to end Itachi reached his peak shoving himself into her one last time with a strangled cry causing her body to writhe under him as he rested his forehead on her back.

After a moment of catching his breath, Itachi pulled her up with him and carried her into the bathroom. Sakura would have complained if she wasn't sure that her legs wouldn't work right for a while. He sat her down on the edge of the tub and proceeded to run a bath for the two of them. As soon as the tub was full she was picked up again and he lowered them into the hot water relaxing away any aches remaining from the day. She leaned back into his chest letting her head rest on his shoulder. The heat of the water and the feeling of Itachi's body against her made her want to sleep. Her last thought as she drifted off was that it would be ok to sleep because Itachi would never allow her to come to harm.

**Ok, people that's all for now, I hope you're all happy with how this chapter turned out. I will be getting to the wedding soon so don't be angry because it wasn't brought up in this chapter. I also wanted to remind everyone that I am seeking fan-art for my stories, so if anyone has some that would fit please send me the link and I'll post it on my profile. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading!**

**Ja!**


	5. Chapter 5

**(Did I do something wrong? I was just wondering because I have gotten almost no reviews for Chapter 4. Come on people, you know I need to see your love for my work in writing, just feeling it's not enough for me. So, please review so that I may go on writing the stories you love so much. Now that I'm done being a whiney bitch, on with the chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and graphic scenes.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 5**

Sakura could do nothing but gape at the sight before her. When she had awoken Itachi was already up but had left the most wonderful gift hanging on the door. The formal kimono was white with pale pink cherry blossoms along the edge of the sleeves and hem. She could tell that the kimono was new but what really got her attention was the obi that was the same pale pink as the blossoms and graced with the Uchiha insignia. When Itachi walked into the room with a tray laden with their breakfast she had to stop herself from jumping into his arms. He quirked a brow at her as he noticed her eyes filling with tears.

"Do you like it?" His voice was soft, almost uncertain as he set the tray on the nightstand.

The tears finally started to fall as she allowed herself to fall into his embrace. She buried her face in his hair. "So much more than you'll ever know."

At her words he wrapped himself around her as she wept tears of joy, mindfully folding his upper body around her protruding belly. She still fit perfectly against him even in her condition. He waited for her to calm down before coaxing her to eat and then dress so that he could find out what she had been planning for their wedding. The clothing was now taken care of, he still had the dress kimono his mother had bought in anticipation of her oldest son's marriage. Sakura had yet to see it but he was sure that she would approve of the stark black with red tomoe around the sleeves and hem along with the Uchiha fan emblazoned on the back. He was surprised that Sasuke hadn't burned it along with the rest of his possessions, but he figured that was because he had never worn it so it didn't really belong to anyone no matter for whom it was bought.

Itachi couldn't help but smile and vow to smack Naruto later over what his soon-to-be wife was wearing as they walked down the street. Her outfit consisted of a pair of black Capri pants and a t-shirt with a smiley face that went right over her stomach and swayed back and forth as she walked. Yep, he'd definitely have to show his 'gratitude' to Naruto for giving her the awful thing at the baby shower the next time he saw him. Speaking of which, that certain blonde was currently walking in their direction. As soon as Naruto stopped in front of them he didn't even have time to greet his best friend when Itachi's hand came out of nowhere and cuffed him on the side of his head.

"OW! Damn Itachi! What was that for?" Naruto whined as Sakura gave the two a quizzical look. Itachi's eyes slid over to look at the atrocity that Sakura was wearing and for once Naruto took the hint, rubbing the back of his head in a nervous gesture. "Oh, sorry man, I thought it would be cute."

"Hn." Itachi took the apology for what it was worth, because seriously he could have picked something worse and orange.

Sakura crossed her arms and scowled at her man. "Are you done?"

To her chagrin he gave her an innocent look. "Done what?"

"Proving that I'm going to be raising three children instead of two."

Onyx eyes narrowed. "I am not being childish."

A fine pink brow rose. "Uh huh."

"At least I didn't cause him any bodily harm." Naruto nodded his assent in the background. Sakura rolled her eyes. Kami, men could be so irritating, or maybe it was just the hormones talking.

"Fine, let's just get this over with, I'm sure Ino is about to blow a gasket having to keep all of my plans a secret for so long." Naruto laughed behind them as they continued down the street to the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

As they stood around in the back of the shop waiting for Ino, Sakura was secretly worried that her plans for the wedding wouldn't live up to the standards of an Uchiha. She started to fidget with the hem of her shirt as Ino gathered all of her notebooks and pictures of flower arrangements, table designs, and everything else that applied. Itachi could feel the tension coming off her in waves and decided to reassure her by placing a calming hand on her shoulder and flashing a smile she knew was all for her. His eyes told her that she shouldn't be worried about living up to his standards since he had been doing the same thing with her, always worrying that he was too much of a monster to truly make her happy. She had no doubt that he'd be happy with whatever she picked as long as they were able to be wed. Her eyes became misty whenever she thought about the look of wonderment on his face as he felt his children's beating hearts. She just knew he'd be the best husband and father that he could possibly be when she thought about everything he had done to make himself better. Over the last few months he had come out of his shell quite a bit, well, at least to her. She was jolted out of her thoughts by Ino dropping a huge pile of books onto the table.

"Oh my god, Sakura! You've gotten huge!"

Sakura gave the blonde a feral grin. "Well, at least I have an excuse, Pig."

Ino twitched at the nickname but let it slide so as not to incur the wrath of her pregnant friend. She gave everyone a cheerful, but fake, smile. "Ok, then, shall we get started?"

The next few hours were spent going through invitation designs, guest lists, table arrangements, and so on. They had to get everything taken care of today due to a mission Itachi had to go on the next morning. Sakura prayed for his safety every time he left, she wasn't going to have her children growing up without a father like she did. He was the perfect shinobi, but even the greatest of them aren't always safe from harm. She had to start taking a medicinal tea for when he was gone overnight and she was kept awake worrying about him. He always promised to come back to her, but sometimes promises cannot be kept. She sifted through some of the papers in front of her to try and get her mind back on the task at hand, but it didn't seem to be working. Since she couldn't concentrate she let Itachi look over everything and make any changes he saw fit. By the time they had finished, Sakura was ready for some lunch and a nap. Kami she was so tired lately. She knew she'd have to get used to it, seeing as how she was just going to get bigger an have more strain put on her body. She stood up and stretched, trying to get rid of the annoying cramp that had just started in her lower back.

"Owww…" She complained while rubbing at her back.

Itachi was suddenly at her side, concern evident in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Sakura smiled softly at her overly protective lover. "Nothing that a hot bath can't fix."

"Really?" His voice held the edge of suspicion.

"Yes, Itachi, it's just some Braxton Hicks contractions, perfectly normal for this stage of my pregnancy."

He pulled her close to him, relief written across his features. "Alright, but could you please refrain from scaring the hell out of me unless it's an actual emergency."

She laid a small kiss on his lips and led him to the door. "Deal."

**That's all for now people! I hope you like how Itachi is handling the whole baby thing because I'm not changing it. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading. I'm serious this time, if you don't give me enough reviews I'll lose all hope in my readers and be unable to finish this wonderful story. Ok, I'm done ranting now.**

**Ja!**


	6. Chapter 6

**(That's more like it! See, I knew you people could review if you wanted to, so to reward your devotion. Here's chapter 6 with all kinds of hectic Itachi x Sakura goodness.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and graphic scenes.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 6**

The last couple of months had been tense for both Itachi and Sakura due to an increase in missions being allocated to the Anbu squads. Tsunade continually tried to keep the over-stressed woman calm, because Kami knows that they did not need to deal with a premature birth while Itachi was away. Sakura was now almost eight months along, and unfortunately that was usually the time that most twins were born. Thankfully it was a short mission and he would be back by the morning, or if Itachi had anything to do with it, later that evening. Sakura was on the verge of breaking down considering that her days as a Haruno were quickly coming to a close. Two days from now she would be wed to an Uchiha. She would have been pacing right that minute had her overprotective mentor not stuck her with a nurse, or maybe babysitter was a better term. The nurse clearly relished the turn in power and used it to her benefit since right now Sakura was too weak and too concerned with her unborn children to knock the woman into the next century. The sun was beginning to set as Sakura waddled more than walked into the kitchen to find dinner already set out for her.

"Here you go, Sakura-san." Her nurse was still formal as she helped her into the chair and went about picking up the kitchen.

Sakura smiled, she had been pretty hard on the poor girl ever since she had been assigned to her. Maybe she could give her a bit of a break. "Masumi, why don't you join me, I'm sure the mess can wait until after we've eaten. And I've told you how many times to leave the san off my name? We've known each other for years."

Masumi smiled back. "Ok, let's eat before this gets cold."

"Is there enough for everyone?" A silken tenor intoned from behind the two women.

Masumi squeaked in surprise while Sakura nearly launched herself into the males waiting arms. "Itachi! You're back early!" Sakura looked him over. "Are you injured?"

Itachi was about to answer when his stomach rumbled, loudly. He glared down at his traitorous body. "No, but apparently I am starving."

"Well then," Masumi interjected while pushing the both of them into their respective chairs, "there's enough for everyone, so let's eat."

"Hn."

Sakura laughed at the look her lover was giving the poor oblivious Masumi. She knew that he wasn't used to being pushed around by anyone other than herself. A sudden image of Itachi wrapped around his daughter's little finger suddenly invaded her mind and Sakura started to giggle uncontrollably while Itachi watched her, completely confused as to what had set off his precious blossom. When she looked up to see that his eyebrow had raised into his hairline at her behavior her laughter only increased. By the time she had calmed down enough to eat she noticed that he was still giving her an odd look.

"What?"

If possible his brow inched higher. "What, may I ask, was so damned funny?"

Sakura couldn't help but take pity on him. "Sorry, honey, I was just imagining how you'd be with our daughter, seeing as how much you allow me to get away with."

"That is because of your condition. I do not wish for anything to happen to my family." When he said the word 'family' regret passed through his eyes followed by determination. He wasn't going to let anything happen to them, not this time.

Sakura's eyes softened at his words. "Alright." She smiled at Masumi. "Well, we'd better eat before the food gets really cold."

The rest of the meal was peaceful, with the only sound being the scrape of chop-sticks along the plates and the clinking of glasses. Sakura thanked Masumi for a wonderful dinner as Itachi helped clear the table and do the dishes before dismissing the young woman to her room for the night. When they were finally alone he turned to his blossom.

"Sakura, I have a surprise for you, but I need you to sit down first." He lead her over to the rocking chair that Sasuke had given to her, it had been their mother's. As soon as she was seated comfortably he took her hands while kneeling before her and continued. "I asked Tsunade-sama to move our wedding to tomorrow."

Sakura stared at him for a moment, letting his words sink in. "You what?"

Itachi was unfazed by her anger, secure in his decision. "I only did it because I do not wish for our children to be born to unwed parents."

Sakura's eye twitched but her voice was level as she spoke. "And you never once thought to ask my opinion on the matter?"

"As I said before, I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Did that have anything to do with not wanting to lose your manhood should I disagree?" She asked sweetly.

Itachi's eyes widened at her implications. "Actually I had not thought of that particular outcome."

Sakura gave him a quick kiss, apparently satisfied. "Good."

He looked at her skeptically. "Why is that good?"

"That would mean that you care about me and your current children more than you do about having any more." With that said, Sakura left the slightly puzzle Itachi to think about what she had said.

As she walked into the bedroom she could hear her lover's soft footsteps trailing behind her. He helped her into her nightgown before changing into a pair of pajama pants. The last time he had only worn boxers to bed he had inadvertently scarred Masumi by walking out of the bedroom and into the bathroom half asleep. He had passed her in the hall as she was going to check on Sakura and he was too sleepy to realize that she had noticed his morning 'problem' until later at breakfast when she refused to look at him without blushing madly. After that Sakura had forbid him from leaving the bedroom without pants and a t-shirt. AS they crawled into bed and each other's arms sleep came upon them quickly.

Itachi's eyes cracked open to reveal that it was still night time. He looked around the darkened room to see what could have disturbed his slumber. It was only about one in the morning and he was about to go back to sleep when Sakura let out a low groan and dug her fingers into his arm. He was about to wake her and ask what was wrong when he felt a warm wetness spread under his leg. Itachi's groggy mind suddenly went into overdrive as the severity of the situation kicked in. Sakura awoke and sat up while clenching her belly as she cried out.

"Shit!" He exclaimed aloud before hollering for Masumi who was just down the hall in the spare bedroom. He heard her coming as fast as her feet would allow.

"What's going on?" Masumi asked as she burst into the room.

Sakura chose that moment to cry out again as if answering her question. Itachi quickly explained the situation. "Her water broke, we need to get her to Tsunade. You call the hospital, have them waiting with a room, I'm going to teleport us straight there."

Masumi gaped at him. "Isn't that a little drastic?"

"There isn't time to get her there any other way." With that he picked Sakura up and was gone in a flurry of black feathers as Masumi called the hospital and got everything ready to meet them there. This was going to be a long night.

The second they arrived in the maternity ward chaos ensued. Itachi was led to a room where he was instructed to put Sakura down on the bed, then he was pushed to the side as they hooked her up to all kinds of monitors to check the babies heart rates as well as the severity of her contractions, as well as a blood pressure cuff and pulse/ox moniter. The doctor assured him that this was all normal as he was told to sit down and stay out of the way until they were finished. Itachi had never before felt so helpless. Tsunade saw the look on the Uchiha's face as she strode into the room and decided to take pity on him, for once.

The blonde Hokage smiled as she placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "Cheer up Itachi, you're going to be a daddy soon. Oh, and don't worry, I've contacted all of your friends, so they know that the babies are on their way."

Itachi stared up at her with a pleading look in his eyes. "Tsunade-sama, could you do us a favor?"

She grinned at his subdued form. "And what would that be?"

"I want you to marry us before our children are born." She was not ready for his answer and looked to Sakura for her approval.

Sakura nodded at her mentor before adding her conditions. "After the epidural." Tsunade agreed and began to assess her adopted daughter.

Within half an hour the room was packed with their closest friends as their Hokage began reciting the nuptials. Sakura interrupted through clenched teeth as the pressure started to get worse signaling the arrival of her children. "Sorry, Hokage-sama, but could we get this over with quickly, I don't think my children are very patient."

Tsunade glared at her. "For the love of… Fine! Itachi! Do you?"

"Yes."

"Sakura! Do you?"

Sakura almost screamed. "Yes!"

"Then I pronounce you husband and wife. Now everyone get the hell out of my way so I can deliver these babies."

All but Itachi left the room and within minutes he was holding his first born. His son had been the impatient one, reminding Itachi of the child's mother. He was also shocked to see that his son's hair had taken after the both of them and was dark purple in color, he also seemed to have gotten his father's eyes. He smirked. At least his hair wasn't pink. He would have to wait to see what color his eyes would be, but Itachi really didn't care either way as long as both children inherited his sharingan. It would seem that his daughter was being stubborn, much like her father, and refusing to come out in a timely manner. He stared down at the child in his arms and smiled. Little Toshiro was very quiet in his father's arms, preferring to look around at his strange new surroundings.

"Damnit, push, Sakura!" He heard Tsunade demand.

"What do you think I've been doing, taking a nap?" Sakura yelled back before trying again.

"That's it, one more push."

Itachi watched as his other child entered the world. Sakura was exhausted, but happy for it to finally be over. They now had two beautiful children. She watched as Tsunade situated both children into Itachi's arms. He had the most peaceful expression on his face as he gazed at the bundles he was holding. Their daughter had her mother's pink hair, though it was streaked with ebony. He couldn't see her eyes due to the fact that she was still crying and had them scrunched up. Sakura smiled at her new family. Itachi was already proving to be a wonderful father as he shushed their daughter's distraught cries before handing her to her mother to be fed.

"So, what are their names?" Tsunade inquired.

Itachi gave her a radiant smile and answered with the pride only a new father can have. "Toshiro and Natsuki Uchiha."

**Ok, that's all for now! I know you were all hoping for a big wedding scene but I thought that not everything can go perfectly for them. I am also going to be jumping ahead in the time-line to show how Itachi deals with being a father. Don't worry, you won't be missing anything. Please review and tell me how much you enjoy my work. As I said before, I need to see your love, not just feel it. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading!**

**Ja!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(I want to thank everyone who has been supporting my work with all of their wonderful reviews. I really appreciate you all taking time to tell me what you think. So, thanks again and keep up with all of the great reviews!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and graphic scenes.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 7**

Bloodshot eyes snapped open as an elbow roughly jabbed the sleeping male in the ribs.

"Itachi, we have to get up… again." Sakura's voice was strained in the darkened room.

"Hn."

His irritated response was the only noise as he rolled out of bed and padded down the hall to the nursery followed closely by his wife. It had been two months since they had brought their little bundles of joy home and Itachi was beginning to think that he had spawned some kind of half demon children. Every night it was the same thing, they would get two hours of sleep before one of the twins would start to cry instantly waking the other. At one point he was sure that his children were plotting against them. For several weeks one of them would start screaming and when they finally got them to stop crying the other would chime in leaving their parents with very frazzled nerves. Itachi had requested paternity leave when after going on a two day mission a few weeks after the twins were born he came home to a sobbing wife who was clearly having a mental breakdown. Things were getting better, though. With both of them at home Sakura didn't have to take turns feeding the twins allowing her to have more time for herself. Tsunade had sent her home with a breast pump just in case her children were 'chewers'. She had thought that her mentor was kidding but soon found out that her son was indeed very rough on her nipples causing them to chap and sometimes even bleed so he now had to be bottle fed.

Itachi walked into the room and turned on the small lamp before pulling a bottle from the warmer. He really must remember to thank Kakashi for that little gift, it sure made things a lot easier. As he looked down at his son he noticed something odd and decided to bring him into the light to check it out. Sure enough little Shiro had two different colored eyes, one green the other onyx. He walked over to Sakura who was nursing Natsuki in the rocking chair.

"Sakura, look at Shiro's eyes."

"Hmm." Sakura looked at her son. "Oh, yeah that happens sometimes in twins, it's perfectly normal." She held her daughter up to the light. "See, Natsuki's eyes are exactly the same. Well, the colors are switched but its not like that really matters."

Itachi relaxed knowing that there was nothing wrong with his children and began feeding Shiro who had finally grown hungry enough to complain. Deciding to get comfortable, he leaned back in the chair and propped his feet up. Sakura started singing a soft lullaby and soon his eyes started to close. After Sakura finished feeding and burping her daughter she looked over at her husband, he was fast asleep in the recliner with Shiro cuddled in his arms. She dared not disturb them and instead removed the empty bottle and covered them with a blanket before slipping out of the room to grab her camera. She knew Itachi didn't really like pictures but she couldn't resist capturing this perfect moment. Maybe she could blackmail him later with it.

**Four Months Later:**

"Come on Shiro, say mommy." Sakura tried to coax her son into talking but he merely sat there with a crooked little smile that seemed to be the beginnings of the famous Uchiha smirk.

"Daddy!" Shiro called to his father when he saw him enter the room, putting his arms in the air asking to be picked up. Itachi complied, bouncing his son on his hip.

Sakura scowled at her husband. "You spoil him, you know that, right?"

The only answer he gave her was a smirk and a kiss on the cheek before taking his son into the other room. Itachi sat the boy on the floor and watched as he immediately tried to stand. After a bit of work and using the couch as leverage, he stood and faced his father with a grin. Itachi didn't want to push the boy to far too soon, so he just watched to see what his son would think to do next. Obviously wanting to impress his father, Shiro let go of the couch and took a shaky step forward. Noticing that the child was still on his feet, Itachi crouched down and put his hands out in front of him as a silent message for the boy to come to him. Shiro squealed in delight before taking a couple more steps forward when he overbalanced and promptly fell on his butt with a soft thump. His little eyebrows drew together and Itachi wasn't sure if he was going to cry or not until he grumbled for moment before standing back up to try again.

Sighing at her husband's infuriating behavior, Sakura turned to her daughter who had been waiting patiently for her to get done taking care of her older brother. Little Suki was almost jumping for joy when she noticed that she had her mother's undivided attention and smiled brightly as Sakura picked her up and danced her around the room. She swayed from side to side with her daughter clutching her shirt tightly as she hummed a little tune she had stuck in her head. She had no idea that Itachi had come back into the room and was now standing in the doorway watching as she twirled around making their child giggle in glee.

"More, mommy, more!" Natsuki demanded when they had stopped.

"Sorry, baby, mommy's dizzy. Maybe later." She smiled at the cute pouty face she was being given.

"You know she'll always be a momma's girl." Itachi stated walking up and wrapping his arms around his wife.

She peered over her shoulder at him. "Yes, but I wish that I had a better bond with Shiro."

He kissed the top of her head. "He's just like I was at that age."

A fine pink brow lifted. "Should I be worried?"

Itachi laughed and shook his head. "No, I'm just saying that things will get better between you two, especially when he's old enough to train. Just watch, he'll be running to you for every bump and scratch he gets."

"So, I should be worried."

Itachi rolled his eyes at her stubborn behavior. "You'll see. Now come here I want to show you something."

He pulled her into the other room. Shiro was standing up and hanging onto the edge of the couch. Sakura gave her hubby a confused look. "And? He's been doing that for over a week."

"Not that woman. Just stand there and watch." He walked over to his son, sat down on the floor and turned the boy to face his mother. "Go on Shiro." He whispered. "Go to mommy."

Shiro looked to his father for assurance before putting one foot in front of the other and slowly walked out of the safety of his father's arms. As mismatched eyes looked up into his mother's proud face Shiro became more determined as he walked on wobbly legs towards his mom. His face was scrunched up as he concentrated on getting across the room. Sakura reached down and scooped the child into her arms the second he reached her. Instead of fawning over him as she normally would she decided to change tactics and just ruffled his hair. "I am very proud of you, Shiro. You did a good job." He seemed pleased by her response and finally gave her a bright smile before she returned him to the floor and gave him a nudge in the direction of his father. After all of the excitement the children were put down for a nap so that their parents could talk.

Sakura was shocked at how quickly her babies were developing. "Kami, I can't believe he's already walking."

Itachi smiled one of his rare smiles that was just for his family. "I know, he's improving faster than even I did, and with your chakra control he'll probably be better than me someday."

Sakura gave him an impish grin. "Hopefully he'll have my social skills as well. We don't need him inheriting your little problem."

He gave her a blank stare. "What problem?"

"You know, with the stick you used to have lodged up your…. HEY!"

Itachi grabbed her, pinning her to his chest. She glanced up to see that he was clearly Not amused. He whispered darkly in her ear. "You realize that you are going to pay dearly for that comment, right?" Yes, she was definitely going to get it.

**Yay! Another chapter finished! The story really seems to be coming together at this point. Ok, on a completely different topic: If anyone would like me to write an ItaxSaku BDSM fic please vote now on the poll I have posted on my profile. That is all. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Ja!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This would have been up two days ago but was having a problem and I couldn't sign in.**

**(Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! I would like to point out that I have a poll up on my profile to see if anyone would be interested in an ItaSaku bdsm story. I do not plan on starting it unless I get at least 50 votes, so if you haven't voted, do so now before you get caught up in this chapter and forget.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and graphic scenes.**

Sakura: age 20

Sasuke: age 20

Itachi: age 26

Toshiro: age 2

Natsuki: age 2

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 8**

The twins were learning at an extremely fast pace. Sakura had more than once called them her little sponges. She had started them on a new learning program at a year old and already they were speaking in complete sentences, could recite the alphabet and even knew how to write their names. After they mastered all of that Sakura had started teaching the twins how to read, and like everything else they were picking it up very rapidly. The new task that she had decided to undertake that day was potty training. It was relatively easy for her to teach Suki the basics, but when it came to Shiro she was a little stumped as to how to proceed. So, here she was, standing in the bathroom with her two year old son trying to explain how the fixture worked while he stared at her like she was an idiot.

Sakura knelt down to her son's level. "Shiro, do you want to learn how to use the potty?" She was definitely not expecting what came out of his mouth.

He pointed at the fixture and stated very matter-of-factly. "Mother, that is a toilet."

Sakura stared wide-eyed at her little boy. "What?"

He gave her a look that said he was clear enough the first time and had no reason to repeat himself. He was way too much like his father.

Sakura shook her head. "Okay then, do you want to learn how to use the toilet?"

"Yes." He sounded as if it should be obvious.

Thankfully it didn't take long for the child to get the gist of things and Sakura was just thankful that diapers were now a thing of the past. It wasn't like she didn't have any help on the matter, she was just tired of dealing with the damn things at home when she would be dealing with them as soon as she went back to work at the hospital. Admittedly, it was easier to change a diaper on an infant than it was to change a cranky old retiree that wanted to regale her with stories about their better years, but a diaper is a diaper and for now she didn't have to deal with them. After giving Shiro his new underwear and helping him put them on, Sakura went to the kitchen to get everything ready for dinner. She was making shrimp and vegetable tempura with rice and grilled fish, something fairly simple after a stressful day. She was sure that when Itachi came home he would appreciate a good meal.

Itachi was currently on a mission, but would be home in time for dinner. Apparently a nuke-nin listed in the bingo book was spotted just outside Konaha's border, so they had sent Itachi to deal with him before he became a problem. She wasn't worried, though, Itachi always came back to her. Even though he was gone quite a bit she couldn't have asked for a better man to marry. While he was at home, and not away on missions, Itachi was a far better father than she ever could have hoped for. He would help with their tutoring, baths, and he would even help cook or clean the house when she was too tired to do it by herself. He was very supportive of anything she wanted to do and even said that he would stay in the village and teach the new anbu recruits so that she could go back to work at the hospital after the children were old enough.

Sakura was busy setting the table when she heard the front door slide open. The happy shouts from the twins told her that Itachi was back early, again. Ever since the twins were born he had made it a habit to finish his missions faster than normal. As she turned around to greet her husband she caught the scent of blood, a lot of it. She ran out of the kitchen and found her husband collapsed just inside the door. The twins were staring at their father not quite understanding what was going on, but smart enough to know that something was very wrong. Sakura told the children to go to their room and that she would have Uncle Sasuke come take them out to dinner. As she hoisted Itachi up she was glad that he was conscious enough to help her get him into their bedroom. When he was situated she called Sasuke and had him come pick up the kids for the night. He had asked why, but when she mentioned that Itachi was wounded he had agreed and stated that he'd be right over. Five minutes later she bid farewell to her children and went to work on Itachi. He had extensive wounds on his arms, legs, and abdomen. His anbu vest seemed to have protected his more vital organs.

"Kami, Itachi, what happened to you?"

"The target led us into a mine field. Apparently he was sent on a suicide mission to take out as many Konaha shinobi as possible." His voice was strained as he recalled the events.

Sakura's jaw dropped. "That's awful. Did your unit make it out?"

"Only myself and one other made it out alive, but that is not the worst of it."

Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes met his. "What do you mean?"

"Before blowing himself to bits he bragged of another attack under the guise of a mission. I sent a messenger bird to the Hokage insisting that she research every mission before accepting it. I do not wish for anyone else to die the way my teammates did."

Sakura stroked his hair like you might a frightened child. "I'm sure that she'll take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the other shinobi, but right now the only thing you need to worry about is staying alive for your family."

Itachi's eyes closed and he seemed to relax at her words. "Alright."

Sakura's hands glowed steadily as she carefully removed the shrapnel from his body while closing the wounds at the same time to prevent more blood loss. She sent chakra to his bone marrow to speed up red cell production and was relieved when his color started to improve. No major blood vessels were damaged or he would have bled out long before he made it home. He was suffering from chakra exhaustion, blood loss, a few broken bones and lacerations over most of his body. It took several hours to heal the worst of the damage and bandage the minor wounds. Itachi was passed out cold and would stay that way through most of the next day. She called Sasuke and asked him to keep the kids for the weekend as well as explaining Itachi's condition. Sasuke didn't seem too worried since his brother was in Sakura's care and had agreed to watch the kids for as long as she needed. Now that her family was taken care of, Sakura decided to eat and then take a nice long shower to sooth her tense muscles. It had been a while since she had to do a healing of that caliber and she was completely wore out. When she finally crawled into bed and cuddled up next to her husband she could barely keep her eyes open. Itachi stirred when she got into bed but only enough to wrap an arm around her waist before going back to sleep.

**I know, this chapter took me a long time to post but I had a major virus corrupt my network and I had to reset all the computers in the house. Everything is fine now, so the next chapter shouldn't take as long unless I get struck with a bad case of writers block. Oh, and just to let you know, the whole potty training session actually happened with my oldest son. It was so funny I just had to put it in my story. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Ja!**


	9. Chapter 9

**(Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, my pain got the best of my muse for a while. Please bear with me for as long as possible.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and graphic scenes.**

Sasuke: age 21

Hana: age 26

Sakura: age 21

Itachi: age 27

Toshiro: age 3

Natsuki: age 3

**Stating the Obvious**

**Chapter: 9**

Sakura tried not to laugh as she looked at the chart in her hands. After Itachi was nearly blown to bits a year ago, he had retired from active duty for a while and was now training the new Anbu recruits. Since then he had more time to be with his children and Sakura had gone back to work at the hospital. That was why at this very moment Sakura was trying in vain to stifle her laughter at the absolutely ridiculous situation before her. Trying her best to sound completely professional she started to question her patient, a fourteen year old boy who was laying face down on the exam table with a kunai sticking out of his back side.

"So, Hotaka, why don't you explain to me exactly how your kunai became lodged in your right butt cheek."

Hotaka turned bright red before averting his gaze. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Ok, how about I tell you what I know?" When he didn't respond she continued. "Your sensei reported that you were once again caught spying on the girls in the bath house and your teammate, Kaoru, caught you. Is that correct?"

"…"

"Very well. Apparently the last time she caught you she threatened to, and I quote, shove a kunai up your ass if you ever did anything so perverted again. From your current state I'm guessing she went through with her threat?"

"…"

"I really hope you learned your lesson, Hotaka, because your sensei asked me not to use chakra to heal you and to stitch you up normally."

"What?"

"Sorry, just following orders."

Sakura couldn't believe that she actually felt sorry for the kid as she fixed him up. Though his whimpers might have something to do with that. She sincerely hoped he learned from this experience or at least wouldn't get caught next time. She bid him farewell and watched as he limped down the hall and back to his waiting team. Since she hadn't been at the hospital for so long she was working in the emergency department until she became used to the rigorous routine again. No one doubted her abilities, it was just protocol. She looked down at the clipboard to check who her next patient was and was mildly surprised to see Inuzuka Hana's name. Sasuke had asked that he be allowed more time to conceive a child with her after she had miscarried their first child due to stress. They were truly in love and Sakura was so very glad that he kept his promise to find happiness. She hoped that Hana was going to get some good news as she read over the chart. Apparently she had been brought in when she fainted after a bout of vomiting.

Sakura plastered a professional smile on her face as she entered the room. "So, Hana, how are you feeling?"

Sasuke looked worried as Hana gave a weak smile. "Still a little dizzy."

"Alright, then, let me check to make sure everything is ok."

Sakura's hands glowed green as she placed them over Hana's abdomen checking for anything out of the ordinary. She smiled softly as a faint pulse alerted her to the problem and she pulled her hands back.

Hana gave her a guarded expression and gripped Sasuke's hand tighter. "What did you find?"

"Don't look so grim you two, I have good news."

Sasuke looked up, demanding an answer. "Well, what is it?"

She gave them a bright smile. "You're pregnant! About ten weeks."

Hana looked like she might cry as she lay a hand on her stomach and Sasuke had to sit down for his legs would no longer hold him. He looked Sakura in the eye. "Are you sure?"

"Sasuke, I'm the best medic in the village, don't you have any faith in me?"

"You know I do, but after last time…" He couldn't seem to finish as anguish filled his eyes, but she understood. Hana had miscarried their first child almost a year ago. Sakura had been in an emergency surgery at the time and she still blames herself a bit for their loss. Losing a child before you even get to see it's face is heartbreaking, she'd be damned if she allowed it to happen to them again.

She pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to make sure this pregnancy is a success, you have my word."

He sagged against her and let the tears fall as Hana moved in to wrap her arms around her lover. She looked over his shoulder at Sakura and said what he couldn't put into words. "Thank you, you have no idea what that means to us."

Sakura beamed at them. "Well then, I have a few conditions for you that should help ease some of the stress."

Sasuke looked up at her words. His expression was as unguarded and earnest as she had ever seen it. "Anything, we'll do anything it takes to make sure it won't be like last time."

Sakura's eyes softened as she gazed at the couple, after a moment she gave a small nod. "Alright, first off, I am going to suspend you both from active duty until the baby is born."

Sasuke gave her an odd look. "Ok, I can see why you would take Hana off the roster, but why me?"

"Believe me, this is more for her benefit than yours. Hana needs the least amount of stress possible, which means that worrying about you when you're off on a mission is out of the question."

He stared at her for a moment and just when she was sure he'd argue, he gave a curt nod. "Alright, but I still need work in the village, it wouldn't do to save Hana from one worry only to inflict another."

Sakura and Hana gaped at the very mature insight. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at them.

"What?"

"Oh, uh… nothing." They replied in unison.

Sakura repressed a giggle and got back to business. "I'm sure the Hokage will have plenty of work for you inside the village, in fact she was just complaining about needing more teachers at the academy." She had to stifle another laugh at his horrified expression. "I'll take that as a maybe." When his expression remained unchanged she decided to up the ante with something more up his alley. "Of course, you could always help me out here, I could use a strong orderly that isn't intimidated by the patients being shinobi. There's also the perk of being able to bully the ones like Kakashi into staying put, instead of sneaking out against doctor's orders."

Sasuke looked intrigued for a moment before schooling his features into something more neutral and slightly bored. "I think I could deal with that."

"Good, now then, the next thing I want you to do is very important, so no putting it off." She looked pointedly at Hana who nodded her assent. "I am going to put you onto a special diet that will ensure your and the baby's health. It will be high in protein and carbs, also I'm going to prescribe some extra vitamin supplements along with the usual prenatal vitamins. Sasuke, it's up to you to make sure she takes them three times a day."

He gave another nod, his face serious.

"Another thing is that you need to keep hydrated and minimize your caffeine intake. Being dehydrated is why you were so sick and fainted today. I want you to keep a bottle of juice or something high in electrolytes with you at all times. The last thing is that you get plenty of rest and only do minimal training, that means don't do anything strenuous, alright?"

They both smiled and Sakura was surprised when Hana pulled her into hug that she gladly returned. "We can't thank you enough for everything that you're doing. I'm sure that everything will be fine this time."

Sasuke gave one of his rare, heartfelt smiles as he embraced the two most important women in his life. Before today he had never had much to hope for and now that he did he was sure he never wanted to lose this feeling again.

**Meanwhile:**

Itachi stared down the line of half a dozen new Anbu recruits assessing each one as he explained what was expected out of an elite shinobi. A small smirk adorned his lips as he walked down the line and caught the slight flinch of each recruit as he addressed them with his sharingan active. Blood red eyes caught every flicker, every barely concealed emotion and even the cocky stares from the over-achievers that probably wouldn't make it a week before giving up and running back home with their tails between their legs. 'Oh, yes,' Itachi thought as a truly evil grin spread across his face, 'this is going to be fun.' A small flicker no more noticeable than a falling leaf alerted him that the first test was about to start and he moved into position, now if only the recruits had this tidbit of information. Soundlessly several masked figures dropped out of the trees behind the line of wanna-bes who were so focused on their sensei they didn't notice the threat.

"You have twenty-four hours," Itachi commanded.

One of the cockier hopefuls spoke up. "For what?"

Itachi took great joy in answering his question while giving almost no information. "To escape."

"WH-" That syllable was all that came out before all six recruits were abducted and taken to two different locations where they would have to rely on teamwork to untie themselves, deactivate traps, fight enemies, and so on just to stay alive. Then they had to find their way home with no provisions before the time-limit was up. His trainees would probably bitch and moan about how hard the test was, Itachi smirked to himself, thinking about how they would react if they knew what the Anbu exams had been like for him. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, dwelling on the past was only going to cause problems in the long run. It would be some time before the recruits made it back to Anbu headquarters, so he decided to go home and relax until Sakura was finished with her shift at the hospital.

When he arrived at home he barely had enough time to remove his sandals before the twins latched onto his legs almost knocking him over. Itachi stared down at the pride of his life and couldn't help but smile as they beamed up at him, welcoming their father home. He gently pried them off his legs so that he could lead them into the living room.

"I take it that you missed me, I know I missed you two."

The twins nodded in unison. "Welcome home!"

Itachi sat down on the couch and pulled them into his lap as they excitedly recounted the day's events. This was one of the best parts of his day.

**That's all for now and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't know when I'll be able to update again due to my lack of internet. I'm able to get online every Sunday so I'll do my best to update soon. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Ja!**


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